Both outfits grew up as part of Kansas City Southern Industries, the railway that veered off-track into the far more profitable business of financial services.

FORBES: The Track Less Taken

Most of Netease's business is selling messaging services to mobile phone users in China--a profitable business that does not depend on the vagaries of advertising.

FORBES: Best Letters Buy Into Small Caps

The acquisition was not so much for Compaq's PC business-- Dell Computer 's (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ) relentless cost-cutting model has taken out most of its competitors' profits there--but in the hope of building a consulting business, particularly in managed services, that could complement HP's highly profitable printing business.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Three of HP's four main lines of business--printing, PCs and services--are profitable.

FORBES: Cover Story

Drive competing services out of business with a free service (subsidized by a profitable product).

FORBES: Google Reader And The Underpants Gnomes

These are the hazards of being a state-owned incumbent that not only runs the mainline network, but also competes with hundreds of firms to provide local train services which is by far the most profitable part of DB's business, if a shrinking one.

ECONOMIST: German railways